Good morning all,

Hope you took advantage of yesterday (and today it appears) for some top down driving! Just a couple of questions from a 1 year (and still very excited) owner.

I just changed my oil for winter storage and it was pretty dark considering I just put in fresh Mobil 1 3K miles ago. I talk to some owners who put mobile one into their BMW and get 12K miles before a change. I know changing the oil before storage is a must, but how many miles should we get with Mobil 1 in the S2K?
Mine is 2003, stock.


Second, I had a new timing belt, water pump, tensioner and 3 other belts replaced in the family Mitsubishi Montero Sport. Paid for 5 hours of labor - is this about how long it should take a reputable garage for that service in your opinion?

Thanks friends - oh yeah, looking for storage around the north shore of Boston if anyone has a suggestion.

Thanks

Ken

 

Oil gets ugly because of unburned carbon. usually the oil is fine it just looks different.

as for the 5 hours of labor.
shops usually go "by the book" where every operation is broken down into how many hours it should take.
i.e. water pump 1.5 hours. timing belt 3.8 hours etc
A good mechanic will comfortably beat the book, the new guy may not. either way you pay for the services based on a fixed fee.
it protects you when they screw up too, if it goes over that, it's their problem not yours.

This doesn't mean you can't talk with them about it. if two operations are clearly replacing the same belts and there is overlap, ask for a price break.

but to your question, 5 hours doesn't seem entirely out of whack. maybe just a little high, but I don't know the montero.

 

I usually run under 5K miles on each oil change (with Mobil 1).

Yeah, the oil gets dark. Also, My AP1 burns about 1/4 quart or so every month of DD, does yours, Ken? I'm usually topping off the oil every two weeks or so. If I go a month, I usually end up down a couple of XXs on the dipstick.

 

if those BMW owners are also like my Benz's they also have a 8 quart pan.
Technically the Honda service interval is 7500 miles but if you drive it like most of us...

 

I'm in the 3000 mile club no matter what oil. There was a time where I went from Royal Purple to Mobil 1 Extended Performance. I thought the car was feeling sluggish after the changeover so I drained out the Mobil 1 after about 500 miles, it was already pretty black. I read that black oil doesn't necessarily mean the oil is bad.

 

Time is correct on the montero .



Since you are now Turbo I would stick with 3k changes . Heat kills oil

 

Since you have a turbo, I hope you also installed a good sized oil cooler. Cool oil is happy oil!

 

Chazmo - yes, I probably put a quart into the car over the summer driving about 3000 miles. NO turbo in my car, however. All stock except my shiny Mishimoto radiator.

Great day today to find that sweet spot at 8000 RPM with the top down! I am always in awe with the performance that even a stock S2000 can deliver.

Thanks for the peace of mind on the labor question on my mitsubishi Scotty. Is there a website that lists typical labor rates?.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Ken

 

if you subscribe to alldata they will put in the rate for R&R of most assemblies.

 

Thats how I confirmed the time but I use Mitchell instead